Thursday, October 07, 2010

Truth Wins Out Announces Philadephia Protest Of "Ex-Gay" Group NARTH

Truth Wins Out, our heroes in the battle against the cruelties of the "ex-gay" industry, have launched the Lift My Luggage! website to promote their November 6th protest at the annual convention of NARTH in Philadelphia.

The National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH) is having its annual convention in Philadelphia (Nov. 5-7). The notorious "ex-gay" group is hoping that Americans have amnesia and don't remember that its most "prominent" board member, George Rekers, was forced to resign in May. Rekers stepped down after he was caught vacationing with a male escort he met on RentBoy.com. When asked why he had hired the young man, Rekers said it was to, "lift his luggage." As the infamous quacks at NARTH gather for their annual convention, let's Remind America that NARTH is a pseudo-scientific organization that is more about Rent Boys than research.

As noted above, JMG is a co-sponsor and I'm already on the hunt for a fabulous pink suitcase to wheel up to the doors of the NARTH convention. Visit the Lift My Luggage! site for directions to the event. I hope to see lots of you in Philly on November 6th! Drinkies at Woody's after?

HomoQuotable - Carl Siciliano

"I dream of a day where every gay youth in our country will have access to safe spaces, where no gay kid will live more than 100 miles from a space where LGBT youth can go to find community and support. But the creation of these life-saving spaces will require the passionate commitment and attention of the adult LGBT community. We need to pay attention to what is available to teens in our local communities. We need to raise funds and resources to support these spaces, and be aggressive in advocating that our tax dollars be used to support spaces where our teens receive the support they need.

"In the last eighteen months, in a city with as large an LGBT population as New York City, the Ali Forney Center lost funding for its emergency shelter, Green Chimney's lost funding for its foster care program, and Hetrick Martin and the LGBT Center lost funding for their after-school youth programs. Our youth need an adult community that is so committed to their welfare that such cuts to lifesaving services for LGBT teens could not occur without a tremendous outcry from our community.

"Too many of our youth are under attack in their homes, schools and communities. Homophobia creates environments that are deadly to our youth. We need to recognize the depth of this crisis and see the protection of our youth as a core responsibility of our movement. We need to build a support system that will save their lives." - Ali Forney Center executive director Carl Siciliano, in a response to the national epidemic of gay teen suicides.

Quote Of The Day - Bryan Fischer

"The fire department did the right and Christian thing. The right thing, by the way, is also the Christian thing, because there can be no difference between the two. The right thing to do will always be the Christian thing to do, and the Christian thing to do will always be the right thing to do. If I somehow think the right thing to do is not the Christian thing to do, then I am either confused about what is right or confused about Christianity, or both.

"In this case, critics of the fire department are confused both about right and wrong and about Christianity. And it is because they have fallen prey to a weakened, feminized version of Christianity that is only about softer virtues such as compassion and not in any part about the muscular Christian virtues of individual responsibility and accountability." - American Family Association radio host Bryan Fischer on the Tennessee fire department that watched a family's house burn to the ground because they had not paid the annual $75 fire protection fee.

NYC Subway Fares To Jump On Dec. 30th

The MTA has announced an expected, but fairly hefty increase in its unlimited ride cards, effective December 30th.

MTA board members approved a whopping fare hike this morning with a 12 to 2 vote -- sending the monthly MetroCard to $104 from $89 and increasing the single ride from $2.25 to $2.50 starting Dec. 30. The hike is the third in three years and comes as the MTA made massive service cuts this past June. "What's next? A surcharge for scheduled information or directions to the on-board bathroom?" said Bill Henderson, an MTA watchdog. The hike will also include reducing the bonus on the pay-per-ride cards from 15 to seven percent, and increase the amount riders need to shell out for that bonus by $2. Also, the one- and 14- day unlimited MetroCards will be eliminated, a $1 surcharge will be applied every time a rider doesn't refill an old MetroCard, and commuter railroad fares will increase by as much as 11 percent.

I no longer ride the subway often enough to warrant a monthly pass, but that $1 surcharge for new cards will help me hang on to all those cards with 25 cents left on them. Back when wearing onions on our belt was the fashion, MTA cards only came in exact multiples of the cost of a single ride.

Ozzy Osbourne Vs. Westboro

"The Osbourne's are disgusted and appalled that WBC would use Ozzy's music to represent such hateful and despicable beliefs. We have absolutely no affiliation with the WBC and are deeply sorry to the Snyder family." - The Osbourne family reacting to the Phelps family singing a parody of Crazy Train on the steps of the Supreme Court yesterday.

Outside Snyder Vs. Phelps

I am floating home on a cloud of euphoria. We got to tell the conscience of Doomed america that if they would stop with the proud sin the soldiers would stop dying. Alito was a serious disappointment. I don't know why I would expect him to man up and tell a squally rebel to drink a frosty mug of shut the hell up and AVERT your eyes. On the other hand, the three women were lions of proper and simple First Amendment Law. When a nation is cursed of God, everything becomes so complicated and there [i]s no MAN among the people, so I find that dynamic to be altogether perfect. Shortly this nation is going to crack open like a walnut and be cast into the sea. The horrors of it will make this nation of girly boys beg for some good old-fashioned troops from Iran or China pouring into your borders and laying you waste.

English In 24 Accents

Dawk Sawkasm In Thuh Claahsroom

Last night my pal Jerry treated me to Roger Waters' restaging of Pink Floyd's The Wall at Madison Square Garden, where 20,000 New Yorkers sang along to the title track in mock British accents. (Same thing when I saw Depeche Mode in Miami: The grawbing hanns, grawb all they conn.) The show was every bit the spectacle it's reputed to be: giant puppets, a massive collapsing wall, free-flying remote controlled inflatable pig, etc.

While I was never a Pink Floyd fan, much of the music felt vaguely familiar in that way that massive hit albums used to insinuate themselves into your subconscious whether you dug them or not. That probably doesn't happen anymore. My favorite moment was watching yuppies pump their fists from their $1000 seats to the anti-Big Brother message as they checked their nanny-cam live-streams from their smartphones. By the way, at 67 years old Roger Waters looked and sounded amazing.

Sharron Angle's Crazy Juice!

Metro Weekly Recaps Budgets & Staff Levels For National LGBT Groups

Click over to Metro Weeklyfor Chris Geidner's recapping of fifteen of the nation's most well-known LGBT advocacy groups. Geidner's article includes self-assessing quotes from many of the group's leaders. What's most interesting to me is that the three groups that seem to have most dominated the news in recent months (GOProud, Servicemembers United, and GetEqual) have the smallest budgets and the fewest paid staffers.

Complaints about Ann Coulter's habit of voting in states where she doesn't live have been around for years, but stalling by friendly election officials and the statute of limitations resulted in no charges. That may change.

An elections commission in Connecticut will soon decide if conservative pundit Ann Coulter will face felony charges over allegations of voter fraud in the 2002 and 2004 elections, reports Brad Friedman at BradBlog. The State Elections Enforcement Commission will vote Oct. 14 to decide whether to pursue charges based on a complaint made by Daniel Borchers, an activist with Citizens for Principled Conservatism. Borchers cited a report in the New York Daily News alleging that Coulter illegally voted in Connecticut in the 2002 and 2004 elections by way of absentee ballot from her home in New York.

The penalty is usually a civil fine, but can be up to several years in prison.

New From GOP Governors Association

The Republican Governors Association has begun running the below ad to promote their Remember November website and Facebook page. Among other items, the ad criticizes the vacation travel of Michele Obama and her redecorating of the White House.

DELAWARE: Not-A-Witch Christine O'Donnell Trails Badly To Chris Coons

Yoko Ono + Lady Gaga = ???

Family Research Council: The Obama Administration Is Planning To Kill DOMA

Family Research Council douchenozzle Tony Perkins says that the Obama administration is deliberately sabotaging the defense of DOMA. But he says the haters have an ace in the hole in GOP Rep. Lamar Smith (TX). Via press release:

When a federal district court ruled in July that DOMA was unconstitutional, it fell to Obama's Justice Department to fight for the law. But so far, the fight has been one-sided. As of this week, the Department of Justice (DOJ) hadn't lifted a finger to appeal the ruling. Enter Congressman Lamar Smith (R-Texas). If the federal government won't defend its own marriage law, then he will. Together with the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF), the GOP's ranking member on the House Judiciary committee is petitioning the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts to intervene. And just in the nick of time.

By the Left's calculations, the deadline for entering an appeal is this Tuesday, October 12th. If the motion succeeds, Rep. Smith will fill the vacuum left by this administration. In a press release announcing the partnership, ADF points out " The DOJ's current DOMA defense, which happens to fit the current administration's policy preferences, is really no defense at all." As the motion states, "The DOJ's [indifference] is especially alarming here because people have the right to rely on the government to make a good defense of laws passed by their congressional representatives." Now that Congressman Smith has called their bluff, it will be interesting to see how the DOJ's attorneys respond. Ironically, the October 12th deadline falls right after National Coming Out Day. I wonder if the administration will take the opportunity to come out of the closet about its strategy to kill DOMA?

Piano Player

Madison Square Garden, Wednesday, 9pm

Stoner Dude: Fuck that, she's not bi. No such thing. She's just softening you up for the big lesbo announcement.

Rock Chick: No such thing? Just because you can't imagine it personally doesn't mean there's no such thing as bisexuals. That's like saying because YOU don't know how to play the piano, there's no such thing as piano players.

DJ Kitty Rocks The Stadium

Gothamisttips us that the new fan favorite of the Tampa Bay Rays is DJ Kitty, who now rallies the stadium from the Jumbotron at every game. Another video at the first link, news story about DJ Kitty here.

"Ex-Gay" Group Exodus International Ends Opposition To Day Of Silence

Citing the recent spate of suicides among LGBT youth, the "ex-gays" at Exodus International announced yesterday that they were ending their opposition to the Day Of Silence, an annual student-led protest of the bullying of queer kids.

"All the recent attention to bullying helped us realize that we need to equip kids to live out biblical tolerance and grace while treating their neighbors as they'd like to be treated, whether they agree with them or not," said Alan Chambers, President of Exodus International, the group that sponsored the event this year. Called the Day of Truth, the annual April event has been pushed by influential conservative Christian groups as a way to counter to the annual Day of Silence, an event promoted by gay rights advocates to highlight threats against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students. The Day of Truth, held on the same day as the Day of Silence, "was established to counter the promotion of homosexual behavior and to express an opposing viewpoint from a Christian perspective," according to a manual for this year's event published by Exodus International.

Focus On The Family said yesterday that they would continue to fight the Day Of Silence.

"Without question, Day of Truth is a loving and redemptive way students of faith can express their views positively in response to GLSEN's Day of Silence which only presents one point of view," Candi Cushman, education analyst for Focus on the Family, said in a statement. "In contrast to the whole idea of 'silence,' Day of Truth has encouraged students to exercise their free speech rights and have an open dialogue while respectfully listening to others," Cushman said.

The Christianist-led Day Of Truth was created by the anti-gay Alliance Defense Fund, who handed over media responsibilities for the day to Exodus International earlier this year.

University Of Michigan Student President Talks About Attacks From Andrew Shirvell

Open Thread Thursday

Monday is National Coming Out Day. Who was the very first person you came out to? How'd they handle the news? What about your parents? And since they say coming out is a never-ending process, who was the most recent person you came out to?

Wednesday, October 06, 2010

How To Rally Dummies

Matt Barber: Gay Vultures Are Picking The Bones Of Dead Queer Children

"As Rahm Emanuel famously said: 'You never let a serious crisis go to waste. It's an opportunity to do things you could not do before.' It makes me physically ill to watch as the HRC and other ‘gay' militants lick their chops and rub their hands together over the tragic suicides of these troubled, sexually confused young men. Before they were even laid to rest, the radical homosexual lobby pounced leveraging these suicides to demand that government codify each of their extremist, social engineering demands. This is political exploitation at its slimiest and it pours salt on the wounds of loved ones.

"But Christians are also praying that these wicked and callous political vultures who seek to exploit these suicides become confounded and fail fantastically. Their mission is not one of ‘tolerance' or ‘diversity.' Quite the opposite: Their goal is to fan flames of anti-Christian bigotry and discrimination, evangelizing on behalf of their own perverted god: moral relativism. We simply won't let them get away with it." - Liberty Counsel attorney Matt Barber.

COLORADO: Schools Ban Crosses and Rosaries As Gang Symbols

Some schools in Colorado Springs have banned students from wearing crosses and rosaries during school hours outside their clothing. "Certain gangs have adopted crosses and rosaries as their gang symbols," District 11 spokeswoman Elaine Naleski told the Colorado Springs Gazette. The newspaper reported that Mann Middle School sent out an e-mail to parents this week reminding that if their children wears a rosary, it must be underneath the shirt.

Dan Savage Fires Back

"To the angry folks: I admit that IGBP doesn't do the impossible. It doesn't solve the problem of anti-gay bullying, everywhere, all at once, forever. The point of the videos is to give despairing kids in impossible situations a little thing called hope. The point is to let them know that things do get better. For some people things get better once they get out of high school, for others things get better while they're still in high school. And some kids, like the kid above, are helping to make things better for other kids who are in still high school. But things do get better and kids who are thinking about suicide need to hear that.

"And to those who insist that all the videos are just oldies speaking from a place of adult privilege: have you watched the videos? There are tons from teenagers, many still in high school, many who are already out of the closet. And there are tons of videos from people who came out while they were still in middle or high school talking about their experiences good and bad and unimaginable.

"Nothing about letting kids know that it gets better excuses or precludes us from pressing for the Student Non-Discrimination Act, demanding anti-bullying programs, confronting the bigots who are making things worse, or supporting the Trevor Project. But we're not going to get legislation passed this instant or get anti-bullying programs into schools in rural areas—particularly private Christian schools—before classes start tomorrow. Doing all of that is going to take years of hard work and dedicated activism. In the meantime, while we work on all of that, we can get these messages of hope in front of kids who are crisis right now." - Dan Savage. Read his entire piece.

At almost the moment that Dan Savage shared his idea for helping LGBT youth, I began pondering the inevitable backlash from the queer theorists who relish attacking any project (no matter how innovative, effective, or sincere) merely because it came from a member of the "patriarchal ageist classist gay white cis-male privileged ruling class." I've read a few such predictable rants since the moment the It Gets Better Project launched, but this one takes the cake.

I'll just excerpt one bit of this drivel, where the author attacks Savage's own initial video.

Promoting the illusion that things just “get better,” enables privileged folks to do nothing and just rely on the imaginary mechanics of the American Dream to fix the world. Fuck that. How can you tell kids it gets better without having the guts to say how. This is a video for rich kids for whom the only violent part of their life is high school. It’s a video for classist, privileged gay folks who think that telling their stories is the best way to help others. Telling folks that their suffering is normal doesn’t reassure them– it homogenizes their experience. It doesn’t make them feel like part of a bigger community, it makes them feel irrelevant.

"Telling people that they have to wait for their life to get amazing—to tough it out so that they can be around when life gets amazing—is a violent reassignment of guilt." This is laughable. Violently laughable. We're talking about kids considering suicide, and the writer thinks that the "reassignment of guilt"—if that's even what this is about—is "violent"? No, violent is hanging yourself. This is the kind of writer who probably refers to unpleasant words as "rape," too. The writer thinks it's "ageist garbage" to tell kids they're depriving themselves if they don't survive their teen years. Is it really ageist to say life improves as you age? It also argues that kids are being pre-blamed for not having the guts to make it to the promised land, but isn't it really just an extension of hope, an encouragement to continue living? Note to essayist: Stay away from romcoms.

And the far left continues to eat its progressive own in the cause of some mythical gaytopia.

NOM Attacks Barbara Boxer En Español

Brian Brown: "California's Latino population is socially conservative and supports the family values of life, marriage and work. They voted strongly in favor of Proposition 8 and they are pro-life. Barbara Boxer does not share these values. She is a knee-jerk, strident partisan who ignores the values of her constituents in order to practice bitterly divisive politics."

Brazil Goes Where America Has Only Dreamed: Clown Elected To Congress

A Brazilian clown has been elected to the national Congress with twice as many votes as any other candidate.

Tiririca, or Francisco Oliveira Silva to give him his real name, was elected as a federal deputy for Sao Paulo with more than 1.3 million votes. Tiririca, or "Grumpy", had slogans such as: "It can't get any worse." Tiririca won 1,353,355 votes - well ahead of the next best-supported politician, former Rio state governor Antony Garotinho, who took more than 694,000 votes to be elected a federal deputy for the state. "What does a federal deputy do? Truly, I don't know. But vote for me and I will find out for you," was one of his messages.

Tiririca's candidacy had been challenged on the grounds that he may be illiterate, but election authorities ruled that he can be removed after taking office if proven to be unable to read or write. His below campaign ad has gotten over five million views on YouTube.

Christine O'Donnell, Witchy Woman

Quote Of The Day - Larry Brown

"I hope all the queers are thrilled to see him. I am sure there will be a couple legislative fruitloops there in the audience." - North Carolina state Rep. Larry Brown (R), in a mass email about Equality NC awarding its annual leadership prize to NC House Speaker Joe Hackney. Pam Spaulding reports that Equality NC will be mailing a box of Fruit Loops to Rep. Brown with every donation they get before their gala awards event. And you can add your own personalized message to Brown with the box.

Sunday In SF: Remember The Party

The folks at San Francisco's Remember The Party, which is an annual reunion of the patrons and staff of the legendary Trocadero Transfer, have put together the below promo clip for Sunday's event. (They even worked in some of my own footage from last year's party.) DJ Jerry Bonham is planning to lean heavily on the Donna Summer catalog and Ms. Summer has contributed some rare memorabilia which will be auctioned at the event, which benefits San Francisco's Under One Roof HIV/AIDS charity. Advance tickets only $20.

RELATED: Don't forget about the JMG readers meet-up this Friday at the Edge Bar in the Castro at 8pm.

CALIFORNIA: Polling Favors Legal Pot

That's 48 percent yes, 41 percent no, and 11 percent undecided—which is pretty good. The crosstabs are over here. Groups with over 50 percent support for Prop 19 are men, people under 50, white, moderate to liberal, dislike the Tea Party, make over $80,000, and live in the Bay Area. In other words, rich smart hippies.

The big question should the bill pass, of course, is what the feds would do about it.

MINNESOTA: New From Tarryl Clark

ILLINOIS: Anti-Gay GOP State Rep. Bill Brady Leads Gov. Pat Quinn

GOP state Rep. Bill Brady has a slight polling lead over Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn, who today predicted that civil unions could become legal in his state "by the end of the year." Early this year, Equality Illinois described Bill Brady as having "supported or co-sponsored every piece of anti-gay legislation there has been in Springfield - from a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage to gutting the Illinois Human Rights Act."

NY Daily News On Stonewall Bashing

In an interview with The Daily News, Orlando's dad swore his 17-year-old boy was no bigot and wants to apologize "in person" to Carver. "We are a working class family," Don Orlando said outside his Staten Island home Tuesday. "We don't hate anyone here." What Orlando did was "wrong," his father added. "I'm not going to sugarcoat what happened," he said. "It was a bar fight, but I swear on my life it's not about Gays or race or any of that. We don't care about any of that stuff in this family." Had there been "an elephant" in the bathroom, "there probably would have been swings at the elephant," Don Orlando said.

The 57-year-old landscaper spoke out a day after his son and Francis, 21, who is also from Staten Island, were charged with assault as a hate crime and attempted robbery. It was not their first brush with the law. Orlando has a juvenile arrest for disorderly conduct. Francis has convictions for disorderly conduct, pot and weapons possession, but hasn't done any time in state prison, records show. "Why do people keep saying this is a hate crime?" Francis' girlfriend, Nancy Casabona, told The News. "Where's the hate? This is not a hate crime. He has a sister who is a lesbian." Francis' sister, Deanna Francis, who is indeed a lesbian, lashed out at Orlando's lawyer for suggesting Francis instigated the attack. "It takes two to tango," she said. "My brother isn't the only one at fault here. There is a lot more to this story."

Police report that the two attackers are blaming each other for the assault.

Jeebus In The MRI

TONIGHT: Anti-Violence Project To Hold Manhattan Gay-Bashing Vigil

The NYC Anti-Violence Project will hold a vigil tonight at the Chelsea location of this weekend's brutal attack against a group of gay men. Facebook event page here.

“We will not allow perpetrators of anti-LGBTQ violence to come into our communities and target us. Today we send a strong message that our communities will not be intimidated by this violence and that we will stand up in the face of it and demand equality and respect. This is a wake-up call for every New Yorkers. We all have a responsibility to end this culture of violence against LGBTQ people, which has become so apparent in recent weeks.” AVP is working with the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, the NYPD, the office of New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, and other City Council leaders on both of these incidents.

Meet tonight at the corner of 9th Avenue and W.25th Street at 6pm. Important: "AVP encourages you to report any anti-LGBTQ bias, including hate speech, bullying, harassment, and physical violence, to our 24-hour bilingual (English/Spanish) hotline at 212-714-1141 where you can speak with a trained counselor and seek the support you need."

RELATED: The 2010 Anti-Violence Project Courage Awards take place Monday, October 18th. Get tickets here.

Discrimination? Absolutely Not!

Rutgers University's Daily Targum has published an editorial denouncing the media frenzy around the suicide of student Tyler Clementi, arguing that gay activists have turned his death into a "cause based on false pretenses."

It is disappointing that everyone from news to celebrities picked up the story. Actress Brittany Snow and actor Neil Patrick-Harris are just two of the many celebrities belittling Clementi's death - forcing his remembrance into a cause rather than a proper mourning.

We did not know Tyler. It was barely three weeks into his first year at the University, and most of his neighbors in his residence hall barely knew him. Turning his death into a push for gay rights is a fallacy. Homosexuality is not the only reason for which people kill themselves. In this case, it might have pushed Clementi over the edge, but the fact that he was gay should by no means turn his death into a march for safe spaces. These groups want to be heard. They want the attention. They want their agendas to shine in the limelight.

Instead, we should address that the signs of a suicidal 18-year-old kid were unseen and went unnoticed, not "We want safety in our homes." We have the safety, or as much of it as we together as a University community can in today's world. What we need is to notice those of us who need help and help them. Entertainers stay away. O'Brien leave the issue alone. Let us - family, friends and the University together - mourn for Clementi, and just for him, rather than using him as a martyr for a cause that has yet to be proven.

TODAY: Supreme Court Hears Westboro Baptist Church Free Speech Case

The Westboro Baptist Church picketed the White House yesterday in advance of their appearance before the Supreme Court today where the father of a slain U.S. Marine is asking that his $5M judgment against the Phelps family be reinstated.

Albert Snyder, of York, Pa., took legal action after church members picketed the funeral of his son. "My son and the hundreds of thousands of other men and women who have died for this country worked too hard to preserve our freedom of speech than to have it mocked and cowardly stood behind like this church does," Snyder said. The church members claim America's acceptance of homosexuality and abortion are some of the reasons for all of its problems. In 2006, church members demonstrated at Matthew Snyder's funeral. His father sued and in 2007, a jury ordered the church to pay $11 million US. That penalty was later reduced to $5 million. The verdict and penalty were later overturned on appeal.

Westboro is being represented by the ACLU. If you can bear it, Megan Phelps is live-tweeting the proceedings.

UPDATE: JMG reader Meredith sends us the below live-shot from outside the court.

PhoboQuotable - Linda Harvey

"In some young lives come the bullies. They are a part of life, especially for boys. But for the young person with same-sex attractions, this is the final straw where they feel totally trapped, with internal feelings they have been carefully taught 'cannot be changed' on the one hand, and harsh peer rejection on the other. Yes, it looks hopeless indeed.

"But there's a solution. First and foremost, kids should be told the truth that no one is born gay. Despite any budding feelings he or she may have, many people who felt similarly at that age went on to change both their feelings and behavior, and to be well-adjusted adult heterosexuals, some married with children. The gay lobbyists actively prevent kids from knowing this option. Why can't they be 'pro-choice' regarding homosexuality?" - Mission America president Linda Harvey, in a World Net Daily column titled Is 'Gay' Agenda To Blame For Teen Suicides?

MINNESOTA: Catholic Archbishop Denies Communion To Gay Students

About 25 students wearing rainbow buttons in protest of the Catholic Church's recent anti-gay DVD campaign were denied communion on Sunday by Archbishop John Nienstedt.

The St. John's action was coordinated by students, including members of People Representing the Sexual Minority (PRiSM), which represents gay and lesbian students and their friends and allies. That Sunday, according to those at the mass, about two dozen worshipers positioned themselves to receive communion from Nienstedt, who was saying his first student mass at the abbey. Some reached for the communion wafer but were denied it. Rather, the archbishop raised his hand in blessing. The archdiocese long has denied communion to members of the Rainbow Sash Movement, who wear the colors to mass in protest of the church's stance in opposition to homosexual relationships. Its leader, Brian McNeil, said the action at St. John's was not connected to his group.

A just-formed Catholic lay group called Return The DVD has collected about 1000 discs sent to them by angry congregants. They have also raised $5000 to feed Minnesota's hungry, an action they say is more appropriate to the Catholic mission. The Minnesota archdiocese has mailed out 400,000 anti-gay DVDs.

Glee Spoiler: Grilled Cheesus

Tuesday, October 05, 2010

Swag Tuesday

Courtesy of Fly Life, today's Swag Tuesday booty is a 2' x 3' autographed poster of the Scissor Sister's latest album, Night Work, which features the above famous Robert Mapplethorpe photo. Enter to win by commenting on this post and please remember to leave your email address in the text of your entry. Entries close at midnight on Thursday, west coast time. Night Work, which has already spawned several club smashes and a hit national tour, is available now for digital and physical purchase. Publicists: If you'd like to take part in Swag Tuesday on JMG, please email me. And now, enjoy the comic stylings of Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl as he relates encountering a naked Jake Shears.

GEORGIA: Ku Klux Klan To Rally In Support Of Anti-Gay College Student

You may recall Jennifer Keeton, the counseling graduate student who refused to treat gays because "homosexuality is immoral and changeable." Keeton became the darling of the Peter LaBarberas of the haterverse when she sued Augusta State University for requiring that she undergo a remediation course on accepting gays in order to continue her education. Keeton lost that case, but while she and her attorneys at the anti-gay Alliance Defense Fund attempt an appeal, the KKK has their backs.

The Ku Klux Klan will hold a rally in support of an Augusta State University counseling student who claims her First Amendment rights were violated when the school ordered her to learn more about the homosexual community. Bobby Spurlock, Imperial Wizard Knighthawk and Grand Dragon of South Carolina and North Carolina, said today they have met with school officials and plan to protest the school’s treatment of 24-year-old Jennifer Keeton on Oct. 23 from 1 to 4 p.m. They will be in full dress and located across from the school’s main Walton Way entrance in the median at Fleming Avenue. Spurlock said they believe Keeton’s First Amendment rights were violated when the school required her to participate in a remediation program after she objected to counseling homosexuals. “It's your constitutional right so how could you tell someone you have to do something completely different?,” Spurlock said.

Peter LaBarbera and the KKK, both on the same side of hate. Feels like a perfect match.

CORRECTION: I mistakenly placed this story in South Carolina at first. My apologies!

Clever Editing For Crazy Eyes

The Citizens United propaganda film Fire From The Heartland (trailer here) edits an encounter between Rep. Michele "Crazy Eyes" Bachmann to make it look like she totally pwned Treasure Secretary Tim Geithner. Here's what really went down.

GetEQUAL: Close The GayTM

GetEQUAL has launched an internet campaign calling on its followers to "withhold time and money from political entities that are not fighting as hard for our equality as they are for our checkbooks."

We're not the first ones to voice frustration with both Democrats and Republicans for holding our equality hostage (see here, here, and here). And we're not going away -- despite the efforts of Democratic apologists who continue to raise the specter of President Palin to scare us into donating. Are we asking you not to vote? Absolutely not -- too many social movements have fought for that hard-earned right that must not be thrown away. Are we asking you not to donate or support pro-equality candidates? That's up to you -- there are several pro-equality candidates that need support, especially because they are minority voices in their party. Are we asking you to withhold money and time from those who refuse to find concrete ways to work toward our collective equality? YES!

For too long, LGBT Americans and straight allies have donated to and volunteered for political parties that have promised the world and delivered nothing. For too long, we have have been counted on to fund candidates who, time and time again, vote against our equality. We’re tired of being taken advantage of and we’re tired of broken promises. We’ll give and we’ll volunteer when we GetEQUAL. I pledge that I will not support a political party or political committee that is funding anti-equality candidates, including the Democratic National Committee (DNC), Organizing for America (OFA), Republican National Committee (RNC), Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), Democratic Governors Association (DGA), and Republican Governors Association (RGA).

Chris Colfer - It Gets Better

Father Tony tips us that JMG reader Birdie (real name Betty Greene Salwak) took part in Indianapolis' Fox News "face-off" to battle the American Family Association over the refusal of a local bakery to fill the order of a campus LGBT rights group. Read our heroine's statement in full on the Fox 59 website. Note that Fox edits the below clip to give the AFA the final word.

Christine O'Donnell Action Figure

NEW YORK: Wannabe Times Square Bomber Sentenced To Life In Prison

Failed Times Square bomber Faisal Shahzad was sentenced to life in prison by a New York judge today. Playing to the numerous cameras, the defiant Shahzad warned the packed courtroom that the Islamic war on America "has just begun."

"The defeat of the U.S. is imminent, inshallah, " Shahzad said on Tuesday during the sentencing. Speaking in a 14th-floor courtroom where a clear view of the World Trade Center site can be seen through a window, Shahzad said Muslims have been defending their people and their lands. If that makes us terrorists, "then we will terrorize you," he said, imploring people who embrace Islam. U.S. District Judge Miriam Cedarbaum, who sentenced Shahzad to the mandatory sentence of life in prison, noted that he failed to show remorse for his actions.

Shahzad also told the judge that when he swore to defend the United States during his oath as a naturalized citizen, he "didn't mean it."

Tired Old Queen At The Movies #51

American Family Association Endorses DeMint's Call For Banning Gay Teachers

"Common sense and clear thinking dictates that if we love America’s teenagers, we will resolve to put healthy, mature role models in front of them right at the time when they are making sexual decisions of enormous and lasting impact. I’m happy to openly, publicly and unreservedly declare that Sen. DeMint is right. We should see to it that our teachers provide the kind of examples for our youth that are worthy of imitation in every way, including sexual expression. If we love America’s students, and love America and want only the best for her, we can do no less." - American Family Association radio host Bryan Fischer, quoted by Right Wing Watch who notes that DeMint is a frequent guest on Fischer's show.

RELATED: The Quislings at GOProud have finally found a GOP position they can't support, but they still manage to twist DeMint's hatred into an opportunity for them to endorse the Tea Party.

"It is clear that the socially conservative big government wing of the Republican Party is desperate to undermine and co-op the message and enthusiasm of the tea party movement. After a year and a half of attacking the tea party movement for not being focused on their pet issues, it is clear that Tony Perkins and his crowd have embraced a new strategy – if you can’t beat’em, join’em. The tea party movement is about limiting the size and scope of the government and empowering indiviudals. The grassroots tea party activists should reject attempts by Washington Republicans like Jim DeMint to corrupt the movement’s conservative message."

True Blood's Denis O'Hare hosts the Ali Forney Center's "A Place At The Table" fundraising dinner gala this Thursday in New York City, where the honorees include furniture mogul/activist Mitchell Gold and a certain "perverted atheist leatherman blogger." Get tickets here. If you can't attend, please consider making a contribution to the Ali Forney Center's desperately needed work for homeless LGBT youth.

Supreme Court Rules Against Release Of Proposition 8 Trial Videotapes

The Supreme Court on Monday ordered the 9th Circuit to dismiss as moot a dispute over the release of videotape from the trial overturning Proposition 8, California's voter-approved ban on gay marriage. Prop 8 supporters had sought to block the retention and release of trial video even to the parties, fearing it might eventually be released to the public. The 9th Circuit refused to intervene, and the Supreme Court vacated and remanded, instructing the circuit court to dismiss the dispute as moot after the justices ruled 5-4 on Jan. 13 to block any broadcast of the trial to the general public.

Quote Of The Day - Daniel Radcliffe

"Learning about the suicide deaths of Tyler Clementi, Seth Walsh, Asher Brown, Billy Lucas and Justin Aaberg has been heartbreaking for me. These young people were bullied and tormented by people that should have been their friends. We have a responsibility to be better to each other, and accept each others' differences regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, race, ability, or religion and stand up for someone when they're bullied. When a friend is feeling depressed or says they're thinking of killing themselves, we must take it seriously and get them help. You can make a difference in someone's life by learning the warning signs for suicide and how you can help someone who is suicidal by visiting the Trevor Project.

"My deepest sympathies go out to the families and friends of these excellent young people. And to all the young people who are being bullied right now, you are not alone. Call the Trevor Lifeline at 866 4-U-TREVOR, because there's always someone there who will listen and who can help." - Actor Daniel Radcliffe, as quoted on MTV.com.

New Jersey Jewish Paper Vows Not To Run Any More Gay Wedding Announcements

The Jewish Standard says that it is SO very sorry to have run that gay wedding announcement and won't be doing that again.

We set off a firestorm last week by publishing a same-sex couple’s announcement of their intent to marry. Given the tenor of the times, we did not expect the volume of comments we have received, many of them against our decision to run the announcement, but many supportive as well. A group of rabbis has reached out to us and conveyed the deep sensitivities within the traditional/Orthodox community to this issue. Our subsequent discussions with representatives from that community have made us aware that publication of the announcement caused pain and consternation, and we apologize for any pain we may have caused. The Jewish Standard has always striven to draw the community together, rather than drive its many segments apart. We have decided, therefore, since this is such a divisive issue, not to run such announcements in the future.

NYC Launches Black Anti-Homophobia Poster Campaign On Subway

The "I Love My Boo" poster series launched on NYC's subway yesterday in a campaign meant to combat homophobia in the city's black communities. Examples of the posters can be seen in this clip and on this NY1 public discussion about the campaign.

Gay-Bashers Hit Two NYC Gayborhoods

Gay bashing incidents were reported in two Manhattan gayborhoods over the weekend, including one that actually took place inside the historic Stonewall Inn.

Two Staten Island men were accused of pummeling Benjamin Carver, 34, early Sunday at the West Village bar known as the birthplace of the gay-rights movement. The battered Carver of Washington D.C., fought back and later identified Matthew Francis, 21 [pictured], and Christopher Orlando, 17, as the thugs who attacked him in Christopher St. tavern's restroom. "New York, I still love you," Carver wrote on his Facebook page as he was having his wounds stitched up at a hospital. At Francis' arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court Monday, a prosecutor said the suspect started the confrontation while standing next to the victim at the urinals and asking, "What kind of bar is this?" The victim responded, "This is a gay bar." "Get away from me f----t! I don't like gay people. Don't pee next to me," Francis yelled. As Orlando blocked the door, Francis asked Carver for a dollar and then for $20, said Assistant District Attorney Kiran Singh. When Carver refused to fork over the money, Francis and Orlando tackled him and Francis punched him "multiple times" in the face, Singh said.

The second incident took place in Chelsea and actually involved a couple of people with whom I am slightly acquainted.

One man, Andrew Jackson, 20, was charged with multiple counts of assault as a hate crime. In the Chelsea case, a group of men were hugging and kissing one another farewell at 25th Street and Ninth Avenue when Mr. Jackson, with five others, yelled a slur and told them to go home, according to a criminal court complaint. Mr. Jackson and the men he was with, who are still at large, punched the victims, and Mr. Jackson threw a metal garbage can that struck two victims, according to the complaint.

I'm told there's a lot more to the Chelsea incident and I'll update that story when more details are made public.

CALIFORNIA: Courage Campaign Staffer Attack By NOM Bus Tour Supporter

The Courage Campaign reports that the man pictured above attacked their cameraman during a stop on NOM's bus tour in California.

The man, who claimed to be the owner of the property, angrily told Anthony that this was private property, and quickly struck Anthony in the arm, knocking the camera to the ground. Our tour camera has been damaged, and we’re not sure that footage can be recovered. (Update: Anthony is shaken up, but fine. Thanks to all of you for inquiring.) The Santa Ana police were quick to respond. They quickly stopped the Vota Tus Valores Bus from making a quick getaway, and a complaint has been filed with the police for battery. More to come on the legal proceedings as it comes in.

NOM's latest hate tour has been even more unattended than the last one with little to no advance publicity for its stops. Many are wondering what the actual purpose of the entire tour may be.

Celebrities Speak Out On Bullying

Last night CNN's Larry King hosted Nate Berkus, Tim Gunn, Wanda Sykes, Kathy Griffin and Lance Bass for an extended discussion on bullying and gay teen suicide. Bass revealed that he used to bully gay kids himself in order to provide cover to his own sexuality.

"The Gayest Thing Ever On DWTS"

Calling her dance one of "pride and coming out," last night Dancing With The Stars contestant Margaret Cho performed the samba to Barry Manilow's At The Copa while wearing a rainbow flag dress. The judges were uniformly unimpressed.

Christine O'Donnell: I'm Not A Witch

Following Rahm Emanuel's announcement that he is running for mayor of Chicago, homocon Hillbuzz blogger Kevin Dujan is again spreading unsubstantiated rumors that Emanuel was once a patron of a Chicago gay bathhouse. During the 2008 campaign, when Dujan was a fierce Hillary Clinton supporter, he attempted (with no success) to plant the same story about Emanuel and Obama in the mainstream press.

Being a “resident” of a city does not mean owning property there; you are a “resident” if you rent so much as a room in Chicago, and can prove that you have such a room ready and waiting for you whenever you need to put your head down onto a pillow here to catch some ZZZs (among other things). Thus, another residency argument Rahm Emanuel can make is his lifetime membership to Man’s Country, a male bathhouse on Clark Street in Chicago’s Andersonville neighborhood – where Chicagoans for years have spotted both Obama and Emanuel when the two men lived here.

Man’s Country sells lifetime memberships for $10. Once a man becomes a member, he is allowed to show up anytime he wants (the place is open 24/7) to rent a room for 8 hours (he can also rent just a locker in case he doesn’t plan on sleeping and instead just wants to “hangout” or “play basketball” the way Obama used to with Kal Penn or Reggie Love until too much attention was drawn to their antics). The rooms have a small cot, a single pillow, a sheet, and sometimes a TV. Man’s Country is made up of a warren of these little rooms, with no ceiling, in what looks like a Halloween haunted house of twists, turns, nooks, and crannies. Watch out for ghosts! Could Emanuel’s Man’s Country membership, coupled with his voter registration, qualify him to run for Mayor of Chicago? We believe it could, because it meets all the requirements as we understand them.

You may recall Dujan's recent complaint that no gay man will date him because he supports Sarah Palin. Dujan has blogged that he fears "radical gay leftists" are planning his assassination.

PhoboQuotable - Tom Prichard

"Youth who embrace homosexuality are at greater risk, because they’ve embraced an unhealthy sexual identity and lifestyle. These alternative sexual identifications or lifestyles deny the reality that we are created male and female. To live or try to live in conflict with how we are made will invariably cause problems, e.g. emotional, psychological and social. Notwithstanding gay activist assertions to the contrary, people aren’t gay, lesbian, transgender, etc. by God’s design or nature.

"We are male and female with sexual expression designed for a lifelong union between a man and a woman. Denying or fighting against this reality is the reason alternative forms of sexual expression, whether homosexual or heterosexual, will put people at greater risk. To assert otherwise is to deny reality and involves 'kicking against the goad' to use a biblical analogy." - Minnesota Family Council head Tom Prichard, who says the dead LGBT students of the nation didn't kill themselves because of bullying, they killed themselves because of their "unhealthy lifestyle."

The Minnesota Family Council is currently fighting efforts to install anti-bullying programs in public schools, calling it "homosexual indoctrination." They can be reached at 612-789-8811.

Larry Flynt: I'll Give $1M For Dirt On Sen. David Vitter Or Other Politicians

Larry Flynt: "We know we've got a gay senator. We just like to see him come out of the closet. And I think we'll be exposing that in the next few months if he doesn't." Lindsey Graham? And how much more dirt could there be on Sen. David Vitter other than his serial adultery, hooker patronage, and diaper fetish?